PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — City, state, and community officials took part today in ceremonies marking the rededication of the Manayunk Canal towpath, along the Schuylkill River.

The 2.2-mile stretch of Schuylkill River Trail extends from Lock Street, just off Main Street in Manayunk, up to Shawmont Avenue in the Roxborough section of the city.

The scenic path, which runs through wooded and shaded areas along the river, is heavily used by bikers, hikers, and joggers.

Mayor Michael Nutter says this is a big shot in the arm for Manayunk and neighboring communities.

“The trail is going to be an asset to the economic climate in this neighborhood,” he said. “It also will help keep children and young people and those who are young at heart active and healthy, by connecting them to the park and the natural world around them — this Manayunk Canal and the Schuylkill River.”

The $645,000 restoration project included installing new fencing along the canal’s towpath area, rebuilding and widening the trail, removing overgrown vegetation and shrubbery clogging the trail, flood remediation measures, and planting trees and shrubbery.